Tahiti was our first and last stop on our 2-week stay in French Polynesia. Tahiti is where the international airport, Papeete is. Coming to Tahiti, you will arrive either from Auckland, Los Angeles, Paris, or Tokyo. Most people stay a couple of days in Tahiti either before they start their journey towards Bora-Bora, Moorea, etc or on the last leg of their trip.
Though we would have loved to see more of the local / city life of Tahiti, we only stayed overnight just to catch our early morning flight back to Sydney (via Auckland) the next day.
So this review will mainly just be about the room and service, as I didn’t have time to explore the grounds of the resort. We arrived late at night and departed early morning, and at both times, it was already dark.
This is the lobby of the hotel:
We arrived around 8 – 9 PM (photo above is not mine) and checking in, we had to wait in line for a little bit. There was probably some sort of issue with the first few guests who were checking in. But when we reached the desk, the waiting time was semi-forgotten as the first thing the front desk gave us was a refreshing welcome drink.
Service is pretty consistent among all Intercontinental chains. Addressing us by names, quick and efficient room service, and immediate recognition of Priority Club membership.
We were upgraded to an ocean-view room, and how I wish we were able to stay longer! It was a dark night and I was only able to hear the breeze and ocean. I’m sure the view is spectacular during the day!
I do have to say that among all the Intercontinental resort properties I’ve stayed at, the Intercontinental Tahiti has a dated feel and look to it. I found the room abit tight with all our luggage, however this didn’t really become much of a hindrance as we only stayed 1 night and left the next day early morning.
If you are staying for more than a night at the Intercontinental Tahiti, I would suggest booking a larger room such as the Panoramic suites/guest rooms or if you are feeling extra indulgent, the overwater bungalow. You will need a lot of space if staying for a few days and needing to change in and out of swimsuit,etc.
We contemplated on hitting town for dinner but we were quite exhausted, taking the last flight out from Bora-Bora to Tahiti.
As if they knew just how we felt, there was a knock on the door and we were given complimentary fruit platter, and a basket of wine, cheese and bread.
We of course ordered additional room serviced dinner, but it is extra personalised service such as this that really make that Intercontinental difference.
The staff promptly gave us a wake-up call at 4 in the morning and ensured we checked out as conveniently as possible.
Next time we make another trip to Tahiti, we will be sure to stay at least a couple of days!
—
Intercontinental Resort Tahiti
F’aaa, French Polynesia
Leave a Reply